Los Angeles Mayor, MTA CEO to talk about new transit sales tax Friday

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and top transportation leaders throughout the county will be participating in a conference Friday in which the main topic is a new, half-cent sales tax to fund rail, highway and bicycle lane projects.

Garcetti will deliver the opening remarks, while Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Art Leahy will “set the stage” about the discussion of the successor to the existing half-cent tax, Measure R, passed by voters in 2008 that runs through 2039.

The conference, the 6th Annual Transportation Conversation, is put on by Move LA, an advocacy group for better public transportation in Southern California. It will be held at the Center at Cathedral Plaza, 555 W. Temple St., in downtown Los Angeles.

“Imagining Measure R-2” is the morning topic, followed by an afternoon panel on how to make new rail projects part of the economic prosperity of Los Angeles.

Move LA estimates the tax will raise the sales tax in the county by one-half cent for 45 years and raise $45 billion, of which 36 percent will be spent on rail, 20 percent on highways, 20 percent on operating transit, 15 percent to local governments for local boulevards, 7 percent for good movement and 2 percent for bike and pedestrian investments.

Leahy said Wednesday that the MTA board is still in early discussions about the new tax and has not made any decisions. Many predict the measure will be placed on the November 2016 ballot.

The current sales tax in the county is 9 percent: 7.5 percent from the state and 1.5 percent from county measures.